Report: Charlie Morton is Headed to the Motor City

Report: Tigers Trade for Charlie Morton from Orioles

Morton was horrendous to begin the season, with the Orioles making him a bulk-inning bullpen arm for a portion of the year, but he has settled in since returning as a starter. He has been floating with an ERA of 3.62 since May, making him a somewhat intriguing asset at the deadline. With the Tigers just needing readily available arms at this point in the season, it’s understandable why they decided to take a “flyer” on a rental.

He does bring a lot of playoff experience with him to Detroit, but unless massive injuries take place, it’s highly unlikely Morton will be on the postseason roster. Nonetheless, he would be a great guy to have in the clubhouse and mentor the young talent on the Tigers’ 40-man roster.

Troy Melton will be moving to the bullpen, allowing Morton to become a starter. This seems like a great decision by the Tigers, as Melton can pitch in a “bulk” role for the Tigers down the stretch of the season. He has looked great in his first two starts, going seven scoreless against the Diamondbacks more recently.

The Last Word

With Reese Olson and Jackson Jobe missing the rest of the regular season, and with Casey Mize battling some knee soreness, it’s understandable why the Tigers would make a small move like this one. Given the heavy lead in the division, the Tigers just need to find a way to make it to October healthy. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Tarik Skubal and Jack Flaherty pitching every sixth day just to make sure they are well prepared for a potential deep postseason run. This is where Charlie Morton fits into the equation. The Tigers won’t be asking him to do too much. Given the situation in Baltimore, Morton was relied upon to provide quality innings for the club, but the situation is different in Detroit.